Ben's Howling Weekend
by newbienovelistRD
Summary: After returning from a rough mission, Ben ends up hurting the feelings of one of his friends. As Ben's lonely night drags by, it takes a turn.


At the Plumber Base, Rook's ship had landed. Once the door opened, Ben staggered out with scruffy clothes, sore feet and a grumpy disposition. He and Rook had just returned from a mission on Anur Transyl. The locals didn't take kindly to Ben. So Ben had to survive the angry mobs of alien monsters chasing him all over the planet.

"Stupid monsters..." Ben grumbled.

Rook followed behind him. "Ben, if you would have just listened to me-"

Ben spun around and angrily glared at his partner. "Listen, Rook! I'm not in the mood for your two cents right now!" he snapped. "Don't make me turn into Humongousaur and squash you like a bug!"

Rook looked afraid, shocked by Ben's words.

One of the Plumbers scoffed at Ben's threat. "Oh, please. You don't have the guts. Besides, you should have turned into something to smash those monsters on Anur Transyl. Heck, I would have."

Rook waited for Ben to say something snappy, but he didn't. Instead, he turned around and walked away. "Ben?"

Ben didn't respond. He kept walking.

The teen hero left the Plumber Base and arrived on Earth. He heard footsteps behind him and looked over to see Rook with a worried look on his face. "Ben, are you alright?"

"Of course not." Ben replied, despondent. "I'm just going to the mansion for a bit."

"Do you want me to drive you there?" Rook offered.

"No, thanks. I need to save what little dignity I have left." Ben continued to shuffle down the street as the disheartened Rook looked on.

* * *

As Ben walked to the mansion, he began to wonder if the aliens on Anur Transyl will ever change. Or will his troubles ever end.

Perhaps they never will.

Ben sighed and thought negative thoughts all the way to the Grant Mansion. He trudged all the way up the hill to the front door.

Once he walked inside the spooky mansion, he dropped to his knees and collapsed on the floor.

"Ben?" Blitzwolfer walked into the hallway and gasped when he saw Ben. "BEN! What happened?!" He rushed to help the boy.

"I don't want to talk about it." Ben groaned as he staggered up. He was not in the mood to see an Anur Transyl alien right now.

"Do you need help?!" Blitzwolfer tried to help Ben, but the hero took a step away from the alien.

"Not from you." Ben said without thinking.

A look of shock came upon Blitzwolfer's face. Realizing he had just offended an alien that can chase him out of town just like the Loboans of Anur Transyl, Ben flinches and starts to panic. "I-I-I mean, I'm fine! You don't have to worry about me!" He tried to leave, keeping his back to the wall just in case. "I'm just gonna g-go. So, don't worry about me at all, okay?"

Blitzwolfer was silent.

Ben gulped. "Okay, I'm just going to rest up. I've had a rough day." He hurried up the stairs to his room.

Once Ben laid himself on his bed, he fell alseep instantly. He was snoring so loudly, he didn't hear the door slowly open. Blitzwolfer watched Ben sleep before closing the door quietly.

* * *

Hours later, Ben woke up. He looked at his digital clock and it was a half hour past midnight. A sudden feeling in his tummy interrupted his thoughts. He was hungry. Very hungry.

Ben got out of bed and ventured down the dark hallway. Outside, Ben could hear the wind blowing pretty hard. "Wow, sure is windy out-"

**CRACK! BOOOOOM!** Thunder and lightening suddenly exploded in the sky. Ben was so startled, he let out a scream and landed on his behind. He put a hand to his chest and felt his racing heartbeat.

"Oh, man..." Ben didn't feel very comfortable being in the dark all by himself. Perhaps being in the company of a good friend will help him relax. He walked to Blitzwolfer's room and knocked on the door. "Blitz?" Ben opened the door and didn't find his friend inside.

"Blitz? BLITZ! Where are you?!" Ben called out.

No one answered.

Now Ben was worried. He was all alone in the Grant Mansion. He was not only scared, but sad. "I guess I made Blitz leave." Sighing, Ben went down into the kitchen to get a snack, turning on every light switch as he went down.

In the kitchen, Ben made himself a bologna sandwich. He sat alone in the kitchen. The storm was getting worse.

"At least I won't hurt anyone's feelings now that I'm alone..." Ben said to himself, trying to find the bright side as he ate his sandwich in solitude. But not all the bologna sandwiches in the world can make his evening better.

After the sandwich break, Ben decided to retire back to his room. But when he left the kitchen, he noticed that all the lights he turned on were turned back off! Ben was all alone in the dark!

But who could have turned off the lights?

"Uh...hello?" Ben called out. "Ghostfreak? Big Chill? Chamalien? Did you guys turn off the lights just to scare me?"

Silence.

"Okay, fine. I'll just go up to bed." Ben spoke loudly so whoever turned off the lights can hear him.

There was nothing but silence. Ben wanted to go upstairs, but he was too scared to move. In his mind he imagined what kind of nightmarish horrors await him in the dark. Perhaps a creature shrouded in in black with piercing red eyes that menaced toward Ben down an empty hall.

When this thought entered his mind, Ben took in a deep breath and began to back away. He bumped into something and spun around to see a massive figure looming over him. A pair of green eyes flashed at the young hero.

"AAAAAHHH!" Ben screamed and almost crashed into a table until the figure caught him just in time.

"Relax, kid. It's me."

"Blitz?!" Ben gasped before he sighed in relief and put his arms around the Loboan. "Oh, man! Am I glad to see you!"

"You are?" asked Blitzwolfer.

Guilt washed over Ben. "Blitz, I'm really sorry about earlier." The teen said from the bottom of his heart. "You see, I-"

"No need to explain." said Blitzwolfer. "Ghostfreak told me what happened."

Ghostfreak appeared right next to Blitzwolfer. "Yep."

"GAH!" Ben yelped. "Dude! Don't do that!"

"Sorry, Ben." said Ghostfreak. "What do you say we cheer him up, Blitz?"

Ben gasped and started to back away. "Oh, no! Nononono! I know what you're up to! NO-" But Ben was cut off when something wrapped around his wrists and held his arms up.

"No what, Ben?" asked a deep, spooky voice. Ben saw that it was Snare-oh using his bandages to restrain the hero.

Ben squeaked and squirmed a little when he felt someone tweak his side. He looked and saw Frankenstrike beside him. He, Snare-oh, Blitzwolfer and Ghostfreak looked at him with devious smiles.

"Oh, no." Ben gulped. He heard Snare-oh giggle.

"Oh, no?" The alien mummy mused. "Don't be so tense, kid. Lighten up."

Ben shook his head. "No thanks!"

Frankenstrike hummed thoughtfully. "Looks like someone's overdue for a special checkup."

"Checkup?!" Ben said fearfully as Snare-oh wrapped more bandages around Ben. The teen hero was completely tied up and carried to Frankenstrike's laboratory.

* * *

Thunder cracked and lightening flashed as the alien monsters gathered around Ben, chuckling as Frankenstrike strapped the boy to an upright torture table that was used for Frankenstrike's "special" treatments. Ben's arms, legs, and even his head was restrained. He couldn't move even an inch.

"There we go. Comfy?" Frankenstrike asked.

Ben responded by futile struggling. "Guys! This isn't funny!"

"Oh, but you need this checkup, Ben." Frankenstrike put on his stethoscope and lifted up Ben's shirt. "Now, let's have a listen, shall we?" He put the end of the stethoscope not on Ben's heart, but the middle of his stomach. He gently moved it around Ben's stomach, the boy shivered as it tickled.

Frankenstrike heard a few giggles escape Ben's mouth. "Hmmm, I hear giggling." He held his stethoscope in place as he used his large fingers to lightly tickle the surface of Ben's stomach.

"Hahahahahahahaha! Stop! Don't play doctor with my tummy!" Ben laughed.

"But your checkup is off to a great start!" Frankenstrike replied. He took away the stethoscope and moved aside. "Ghostfreak, check the patient's most ticklish spot."

Ghostfreak floated over to Ben, who gulped in fear. "Time for your tickle test, Ben." The alien ghost made his striped tentacles come out of his chest.

"Oh, man! Not the tentacles!" Ben said nervously as the tentacles wriggled toward him.

"Don't be afraid, Ben." said Ghostfreak. "Let's start small, shall we?" He used one of his tentacles to tickle Ben under the chin.

Ben started to giggle, but he pressed his lips together in order not to laugh. Since his head was cuffed down, he could only endure the tentacle tickling him.

"Don't resist, Ben. I know that tickles." Ghostfreak moved his tickly tentacle down to Ben's neck. Once he felt the tickling there, Ben was unable to fight back and giggled.

"Hehehehehehehahahahahahaha!"

"There we go! There's the giggles!" Ghostfreak sang. "Now, for your most ticklish spot." He then tickled the boy's armpits.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! QUIT IT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The alien ghost stopped tickling the boy's worst spot and gave him time to breath.

"So, how do you feel so far, Ben?" asked Ghostfreak.

"Like you can let me go now." Ben replied.

Ghostfreak shook his head. "Not until your treatment is complete."

"Oh, come on! I've been tickled enough today!" Ben replied.

"But you're still sad." said Blitzwolfer as he approached the boy. "We just want to cheer you up in our own special way." His ears perked up. "In fact, maybe I should use my own way too."

Ben felt nervous when the Loboan got really close to him. "What are you-?!" He was cut off when Blitzwolfer started licking Ben's face. "H-Hey! Hehehehehehehehe!" Ben chortled as the licking tickled him. When the alien wolf started licking his ear, Ben reacted with a snort of laughter.

"Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Come on! Not the ears!" Ben begged. "Why are yohohohou even doing thihihihis?!"

"It's puppy love, Ben." said Frankenstrike. "Wildmutt does it to you all the time!"

"And Blitz does it to Rachel and Sasha all the time!" Snare-oh added. "And don't forget the tail!"

Blitzwolfer chuckled as he lifted up Ben's shirt and used his bushy tail to tickle his stomach.

"AAAAHHH! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! CUT IT OUT! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Coochy, coochy, coo!" Blitzwolfer teased.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! COME ON! QUIT IT! AHAHAHAHAHA!" Ben couldn't bear the fluffy tail tickling him. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Okay, that's enough, Blitz." said Frankenstrike. "I think the patient is doing well!"

"Great." Ben panted. "Now you can...let me go now?"

The aliens grew silent. They all shared concerned looks, something that caught Ben off guard. "Well, actually, Ben," Blitzwolfer began. "Before we do, we just wanted to let you know that we're always here for you, kid. You shouldn't push away your friends when you need help. Otherwise, you'll be at the point where you can't be helped...like your enemies."

Ben felt his throat tighten. "I never thought of that."

Frankenstrike freed the boy and Blitzwolfer ruffled the boy's hair. "We know our people back home aren't cool with outsiders. But it's just because they're scared, not spiteful." said Blitzwolfer. "Someday they'll be open-minded like us. But until then, we've got your back."

To the alien's surprise, Ben put his arms around him in a hug. "Thanks, guys." Looking up at Blitzwolfer, Ben got an idea. He reached up and scratched him behind the ears. Blitzwolfer hummed in pleasure. He felt himself turn to jelly as Ben scratched.

"Aw, look at that tail!" Frankenstrike chuckled.

Ben looked down and saw Blitzwolfer's tail wagging just like a happy dog. The boy chuckled too. "Oh? Does that feel good?" Ben cooed. He then scratched under the Loboan's chin. "Coochy, coochy, coo!"

Blitzwolfer stuck his green tongue out and panted blissfully. His tail wagged at full force.

"How about a good belly rub?" Ben suggested.

Hearing this, Blitzwolfer's ears perked up and he immediately got down on his back. Ben then began scratching his friend's belly. Blitzwolfer was in seventh heaven. He panted up a storm as his tail wagged like mad. Even his leg was shaking happily.

"Coochy, coochy, coo! Who's a good boy? Who likes a good belly rub? Yes, you do!" Ben cooed as if Blitzwolfer was a puppy.

"Looks like the checkup was a success." said Frankenstrike.

Ben chuckled. "It sure was. Thanks, guys."

Blitzwolfer gave Ben a lick on the cheek. Ben giggled and gave his wolf friend a hug. The Loboan sniffed Ben, making him giggle even more. "Mmmm! I smell bologna!"

"Yeah, made myself a sandwich." said Ben. "You guys up for a midnight snack?"

The monsters howled in agreement. Ben happily joined his friends to the kitchen. No matter how bitter he felt, no matter how rough a mission he had, he was truly glad to have loyal friends who will always comfort him in times of need.


End file.
